Wednesday, May 23, 2012

I
see many clients for tight sore calf muscles, especially this time of year, as
people become more active in the nicer weather.Every once in a blue moon I come across a sore calf that I
won’t massage though!

A
few years ago a client of mine came in complaining of a sore calf muscle, which
had flared up since coming home from a spring holiday in Hawaii.She hadn’t noticed it on her holiday,
and couldn’t remember doing anything to strain the muscle.In fact, she did almost nothing during
her holiday, but spent long hours relaxing and reading in a lounge chair.

On
initial observation I noticed her leg was slightly swollen, red and warm to the
touch.Gentle pressure caused her
discomfort.I recommended she
check in with her doctor as soon as possible, and chose not to give her a
massage therapy treatment that day.

She
called me the following day to inform me that she had been diagnosed with deep
vein thrombosis.

Deep
Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in the deep veins of the leg.It can occur in situations where blood
flow from the legs is impeded, or blood clotting is increased.DVT can also happen in response to
direct trauma to the area.Some
situations that can increase the chances of DVT formation include sitting or
travelling for long periods, prolonged immobilization, pregnancy or obesity.Risk also increases with age, oral
contraceptives, smoking and surgery.

DVT
should be taken seriously as there is a chance that the clot could dislodge and
move into the lungs.It occurs
most often in the legs, but can occur elsewhere in the body as well.

If
you are experiencing pain, swelling and redness in a leg, arm, abdominal region
or neck, it is important to get checked out as soon as possible.

As
with many medical conditions, there are things you can do to prevent, or at
least decrease your chances of developing deep vein thrombosis formation, the
best and easiest being walking.While the heart pumps blood out to your extremities, it is muscle
contractions that push blood back up to the heart via veins.Veins are designed with one-way valves,
so as muscles contract, the blood gets squeezed upward, and the valves stop it
from flowing back down.

Calf
exercises can be utilized in situations where walking isn’t possible (such as
during flights, long periods of sitting/immobilization, or in individuals with
impaired ability to walk).

Compression
stockings and medications can be used for at risk individuals, especially in
instances where they are going to be travelling, immobilized or require
surgery.These should be used
under supervision of your doctor.

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A Little Bit About Denise

I am an independent distributor for Young Living Essential Oils in Nanaimo, BC. I believe careful use of essential oils be a part of everyone's health maintenance program. I also believe that any health maintenance program should include many other facets, including nutrition, exercise and other wellness endeavors, which is where this blog comes in! So please enjoy these simple health tips, and I do hope you find some useful ideas to add to your daily life! You can also visit my facebook page at www.facebook.com/simplehealthideas to find out about upcoming classes and info sessions.